Canteen Meal Grants (Mensafreitische)

What is the Mensafreitisch allocation?

The Mensafreitisch allocation (MFTV) is intended to support students in need by providing a daily canteen credit to ease their studies and reduce expenses. With the Mensafreitisch card, students can eat for a reduced price for half a year in the canteens operated by the Studentenwerk in Hanover (not valid at MHH or TiHo canteens). The exact credit amount will be communicated by the Studentenwerk if you are approved. It will likely be between €2.50 and €3.00. You may have one meal per day, which you can also pack and take away. If a meal costs more than the daily credit, you must pay the difference yourself. Credit cannot be saved up.
This semester’s grant is valid from 01 July 2026 to 31 December 2026. The application phase is organized through the AStA Student Advisory Department and takes place from May 1, 2026 (12:00 a.m.) until May 31, 2026 (11:59 p.m.).

You want to apply for a Mensafreitisch? We will walk you through it.
Please read the following information carefully before filling out the application or signing up for a personal appointment.

Who can apply?

The Mensa Free Meal Program is intended to serve as a form of social support for students in financial need. “Financial need” includes students experiencing financial difficulties, emergency situations, or challenging life circumstances. This may include, for example, refugee students, students with physical or psychological impairments, or those affected by similar hardships. Additional reasons that may be considered can be found in the application form.
Further eligibility requirements:
You must be enrolled at Hochschule Hannover, earn less than the current maximum BAföG rate (€993 per month), have financial assets below €10,000, and must not have received a Mensa Free Meal grant in the previous semester.

Where, when, and how can you apply?

You can apply for a Mensa Free Meal before each summer and winter semester.
We have also optimized our application process: you can now apply digitally via email, by post with printed documents, or in a personal consultation appointment.

How it works

Digital or postal submission

Step: Read the information provided on this website carefully.
Step: Fill out the Mensafreitisch application (this document) and the privacy policy either digitally or by hand in printed form.
Step: Attach the relevant bank statements from the last 3 months for all accounts you use (including current accounts, savings accounts, PayPal accounts, credit cards, Revolut or fee-free accounts, stock or securities accounts, savings or fixed-term deposit accounts) and a photo or scan of your current student ID, either digitally or printed, to the documents from the previous step.
Important: The monthly expenses and income you state in the half-year Mensafreitisch application must be visible in your bank statements. For any amounts over €20 where the purpose is unclear, please add a brief explanation on the statement.
Step:
Digital option: Attach the documents from the previous steps to an email titled “MFTV_Name_Firstname_StudentID” and send to beratung@asta-hsh.de.
Postal option: Place the printed documents from the previous steps in a labeled envelope and submit them at the mailroom.

Postal address:
Referat Beratung
AStA der Hochschule Hannover
Ricklinger Stadtweg 120
Hochschule Hannover

Please feel free to use the checklist attached on the last page of the application form. This will help you ensure that your application is complete.

In-person submission

For applicants who prefer to submit and discuss the application in person, or who for personal reasons would like support in a one-to-one conversation, we offer in-person or online appointments during the application period.
From 01 May to 31 May, we offer four appointment slots Monday to Friday that you can book:
16:30 to 17:00
17:00 to 17:30
17:30 to 18:00
18:00 to 18:30

Please note: The following public holidays are exceptions, as the university will also be closed on these days: May 1, May 14, and May 23–26.

Step: Read the information provided on this website carefully.
Step: To apply for one of the appointment slots above, email three proposed times to beratung@asta-hsh.de.
Example: 03 May 16:30 to 17:00, 13 May 18:00 to 18:30, 17 May 17:00 to 17:30
You will then receive a reply confirming your appointment, including which documents to bring and whether your appointment will be in person or online.
Step: Print the relevant bank statements from the last 3 months for all accounts you use (including current accounts, savings accounts, PayPal accounts, credit cards, Revolut or fee-free accounts, stock or securities accounts, savings or fixed-term deposit accounts) and bring them to the appointment.
Important: The monthly expenses and income you state must be visible in your bank statements. Also remember to bring your valid student ID.
Step: The Mensafreitisch application (this document) and the privacy policy will be provided by us in printed form during the appointment and filled out together.

Application deadline is 31 May (until 23:59).

Next steps:
We will discuss all applicants as a team and will get back to you by 15 June 2026 at the latest with either an approval or a rejection. Please check your inbox from time to time, including the spam folder, so we can reach you if we have questions or if information is missing. Feel free to contact us if you do not receive feedback or if you have follow-up questions.
If approved, you will receive a letter or email from the Studentenwerk explaining the exact procedure. The Mensafreitisch card can then be collected at the main canteen for a €5.00 deposit.
If we have questions or if information is missing, for example due to unclear bank statements, we will contact you by email and may ask you to attend a substitute appointment in person.
If you have questions or need more information, please email beratung@asta-hsh.de.

Good luck with your application.

Here you can find the Mensafreitisch application for the WiSe 25/26 semester and the privacy policy as PDFs to download: